Trailer or truck braking mechanism



Jan. 18, 1938. Y B. DICK 2,105,880

TRAILER OR'TRUCK BRAKING MECHANISM Original Filed Oct. 9, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 mi l 222W I7 25 RNS DICK 6 I BY |o 2o 7 QW M ATTORNEY.

' INVENTOR. 3

Jan. '18, 1938. B. DICK 2,105,830

" TRAILER on TRUCK BRAKING MECHANISM Original Filed Oct. 9,. .1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 F l G. 4.

I as 1 ,aa

INVENTOR. RNS DIC K BY I 5 AZ I A TTORNEY.

ean Jan. 1a, 1933 PATENT oFFlca 2,105.88. Tasman on'rancx ammo MECIIA- msu 7 Burns Dick. Ferguson, Mo, aus'ignor t'o Electrl corporation,

or ;rationofneiawire' Application October 9; wed

Salads, Mo., a porn 1935, Serial N6. 44,146

Rene December 2, 1937. a Claims. (61. lea-10o) l My invention relates to braking mechanism and more particularly to brake actuating mechanism fto be combined with and mounted on the axle of a vehicle such as a trailer or atruckl Oneof the objects of myinventionl is to pro-' vide a braking system which may be readily and economically installed on a trailer or truck either in the fleld or as original equipment. j

. Another object of my invention is to provide a simple and eflicient brake actuating mechanism for applying a pair of brakes with equal pressure,

which mechanism is carried by flthe vehicleaxle' mechanically operated rod.

Other objects of my inyention will become apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which Figure l is a top view of my improved and operable either by a fluidjmotor or by a brakingsystem employing a fluid motor and as installed on a trailer havinga dead axle; Figure l 2 is a cross-sectional view on the line 1-2 of Figure 1, showing one of the brakes; Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view on the line 3-3 of Figure 1, showing the fluid motor and the mechanical actuating mechanism; Figures 4 and 5 are views showing a modified form in which a vacuum mo- I tor is employed in place of a fluid pressure moaxle I of the trailer upon which i tor; and Figure 6 shows the arrangementof the brake expanding device to be employed with the structure of Figures 4v and 5.

Referring to Figures 1 to 3 in detail, the dead- I navel brake actuating mechanism is mounted is of square cross-section and carries at each end wheels 2' and 3.- Each of these wheels secured thereto a brake drum 4, the open'side of which is closed by means of the-usual dust plate or backing plate 5 suitably secured to the axle It The brake shoes which are carried-by the backing plate and cooperate with the drum are of the same construction for each wheel, the one for the wheel 3 being shown in detail in Figure-3. Each brake is of the two-shoe expanding type and comprises shoes 6 and I in end to end relation. One pair of adjacent ends of the shoes are pivotally mounted to the backing plate by means of flxed anchor pins 8 and 9, and the other pair of adjacent ends are expanded by means of a rotatable shaft and linkage construction. The shaft for actuating the brake upon the wheel 3 is designated by the numeral l0, and the shaft for actuating the brake upon the wheel 2 is designated by the numeral ll. Referring to Figure 3, the shaft III is rotatably mounted in the end of the brake shoe 6 and has rigidly secured thereto adf jacent to the brake shoe end an arm. ii. The free end of this arm is pivotally connected by an adjustable link IS with the adjacentend of the shoe 1. The shaft ll. has nobearing in the backing plate since the opening through which 6 I f The actuating shafts II and II for the brakes l5 pf the wheels I and 2 are positioned upon opposite sides of the trailer to permit proper operation by p the actuating mechanism to be described. The

central portion of the axle has secured thereto oppositely extending and laterally spaced brack a A ets or arms l1 and II, the arm I! forming a support and bearing for the inner end of the brake actuating shaft II, and the'arm I8 forming a support and bearing for the inner 'endof the brake actuating shaft II. The respective bear-'- lugs for the shafts l0 and II are so constructed as to permit the shafts to have -a slight lateral play therein so that the brake actuating endsvof the shafts may have the desired lateral movement' to properly apply the brakes. Since the 30 shafts are of considerable length and the lateral movement of the brake end of each shaft necessary to apply the brake is very small, this lateral play of the shafts in their bearings need not be much more than the usual play in an ordinary 35 bearing. The arms I1 and 48 .may be secured to the axle in any suitable manner, as for example by means of welds l9, as shown.

The actuating shaft I. has secured thereto a double-arm lever, and the shaft I i has secured 40 22 has its cylinder 23 directly pivoted to the 4d end of the arm 2| and its piston 24 directly pivoted to the upper end of the double-arm lever 20 by means of the piston rod 25, Fluid under pressure for actuating thefluid motor is supplied to I the cylinder from a suitable source by means of 'a conduit 26. A suitable collapsible boot 2'! prevents dust and other foreign material from entering the fluid motor. i The mechanical linkage for rotating the brake actuating shafts I. and. H in opposite directions. v.

the conduit 28, thus moving the cylinder and piston in opposite directions, and as a result thereof rotating the brake, actuating shafts I0 and II in opposite directions. The rotation of these shafts results in the brake shoes Ii and I of both brakes being expanded into engagement with the drum by means of the arm I2 and connecting link I3. During actuation of the brake by means of theiluid motor, the pull-rod 28 will not be aifected since the flexible connecting element 30 permits the lower arm of the lever 20 to move independently of the floating lever 29. I

When it is desired to actuate the brakes, by means of the pull-rod 28 movement of this rod to the left will result in the shaft I I being rotated by means of the arm 2I andthe shaft I0 rotated by means of the flexible element 30 and the lower .arm of the lever 2|). Since this mechanism results in-the same direction of rotation of the shafts I0 and I I as is caused by operation of the fluid motor, the brakes will be applied in the same manner as just described. In order to prevent movement of the fluid motor-pisto r dugng actuation of the brakes by the pullzid'f'th'e piston rod 25 is made in two telescopic sections as shown at 32 (Figure 1).

My novel brake actuating mechanism insures that both brakes will be applied with an equal pressure. When the fluid motor is employed the rotating force upon each of the shafts I0 and I I is the same, since the arm 2| and the upper end of the arm of the lever 20 are of the same length and the motor is floatingly connected between the ends of these arms. The-actuating mechanism for expanding each of the brakes also insures that the brake shoes will be applied to the drum with an equal force since the end of the actuating shaft is pivotally mounted in the end of one brake shoe and the arm I2 thereon iswdirectly connected to the end of the other shoe by a floating link. When the mechanical actuating mechanism is used the floating lever 29 insures equalization of thebrakingpressure.-

The entire actuating mechanism may be readily installed upon existing trailers, trucks, or other vehicles which are not originally equipped with brakes. In addition to mounting the braking mechanism upon the wheels, all that is necessary to mount the actuating mechanism is to weld the two arms I! and It to the dead axle I.

. Referring to Figures 4 and 5, I have shown a modification of the structure previously described whereby the actuation of the shafts I0 and II may be performed by means of a suction motor.

. instead of a fluid pressure motor. In this embodiment the brackets or arms I1 and -I8 are mounted in alignment on opposite sides of the axle I. The shaft II has secured thereto an upstanding arm a, and shaft II has secured thereto an upstand-,

s,1os,sso

ton rod 3! pivotally connected to the arm 84. The shaft II also has secured thereto a downwardly extending arm 4| and the shaft II an upwardly extending arm ll. The arm ll is connected to oneend of the pull-rod lever 2!,by

means of a rod 42 and the arm I is connected to the other end of the pull-rod lever by means of a flexible member 4}. The pull-rod lever is actuated by pull-rod 2! in the same manner as in the previously described embodiment.

The vacuum motor is connected by conduit 44 to a source of suction that is suitably controlled;

When the air in the vacuum motor is removed through. the conduit atmospheric pressure will operate the suction motor, resulting in the shafts III and II being rotated in opposite directions. thereby applying the brakes in the manner previously described. When the pull-rod 28 is actuated' the linkage construction shown will also rotate the shafts III and II in the same direction as the suction motor rotates them to thereby apply the brakes. 4

In the modification shown in Figures (and 5, the shafts I II and II when actuated are rotated in directions opposite to that in which they are rotated in the embodiment shown-in Figure 1. In order to take care of this opposite direction of rotation of these shafts and properly apply the brakes, the arm I2 of the brake expanding linkage is placed upon the opposite side of the shafts I0 and I I, as shown in Figure 6,- so that the link I3 may be moved in the proper direction.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new and. desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In braking mechanism, the combination of I a dead axle of a vehicle, a wheel at each end thereof, a brake for each wheel and comprising a drum and a cooperating friction device, supporting brackets secured to the central part of the axle and positioned on opposite sides thereof, shafts positioned on opposite sides of the axle, one end of each shaft being Joumsled in a bracket and the other end being supported by and connected to actuate the friction device of one of the brakes, an arm mounted on each shaft adjacent the flrst named end, a fluid motor interposed between and connected to the arms to rotate the shafts in opposite directions to actuate the friction devices, independently operable means for rotating said shafts, said last named means comprising a pull-rod, and an equalizing lever connected at its center to the pull-rod and at its ends to the arms secured to operatively connected to the other end of the friction device, means for rotatably supporting the other end of the shaft from the axle. an arm on said shaft adjacent the axle support, and a fluid motor connected to said last named arm for rotating the shaft to thereby expand the friction device.

3. In braking mechanism, the combination of a vehicle axle, a wheel at eachend thereof, a brake for each wheehtwo rotatable-bans each connectedtoopcrste sbrahassidshsftsextenda,1os,sao

- means of each brake into et with its in: inwardly-from the brakes and having their axes substantially parallel, means for supporting the inner ends of the shafts from the axle, means for supporting the outer end of each shaft on the brake it .is adapted to actuate, a floating lever, connections between one end of said lever and one shaft and the other end of said lever and the other shaft, said connections between the ends. of the floating lever and the shafts comprising-arms secured to the shafts and extending in opposite directions, and an actuating rod connected to the central portion of said floating lever.

4. In braking mechanism, the combination of a vehicle axle, a wheel at each end thereof, a

brake for each wheel, two rotatable shafts each connected to operate a brake, said shafts extending inwardly from the brakes and having their axes substantially parallel, means for supporting the inner ends of the shafts from the axle, an arm on each shaft, a floating fluid motor connected between the arms for rotating-the shafts to actuate the brakes, and independently operable means for rotating said shafts simultaneously, said last named means comprising a pull-rod, a floating lever having its central portion connected to the pull-rod, an arm on one shaft connected to one end of the lever, and an arm on the other shaft connected to the other end of the lever, said arms extending in opposite directions from the shafts.

5. In braking mechanism, the combination of a vehicle axle, a wheel at each end thereof, a brake for each wheel compri ng a rotatable drum and a cooperating friction means, means including a rotatable shaft for actuating the friction drum, said shafts extending inwardly from the brakes and having their axes substantially parallel with the axle, means for supporting the inner end of each shaft on the axle, fluid pressure means for simultaneously rotating the shafts, an arm secured to the inner end of each shaft, a floating lever, aconnection between one end of said lever and the arm on one of the shafts, a connection between the other endof said lever and the arm on the other shaft, and an'- actuating rod connected to the central portion of said floating lever.

6. In braking mechanism, the combination of a .vehicle axle, a wheelat each end thereof, a brake for each wheel comprising a rotatable drum and a cooperating friction means, means including a rotatable shaft for actuating the friction means of each brake into engagement with its drum, said shafts extending inwardly from the brakesand having their axes substantially .parallel with the axle, means for supporting the inner end of each shaft on the axle, means for supporting the "outer end of each shaft on the friction means of the brake which it is adapted to actuate, fluid pressure means for simultaneously rotating the shafts, an arm secured to the inner end of each shaft, said arms extending in opposite directions, a'floating lever, a connectlon between one end of said lever and the arm on one ofthe shafts, a connection between the other end of said lever and the armon the other shaft, and an actuating rod connected .to the central portion of said floating lever.

BURNS pics.- 

